Odisha to Set Up 20 New Cyber Police Stations to Combat Rising Digital Crimes

Bhubaneswar, Feb 12: In a major push to strengthen cyber security and tackle the growing menace of digital fraud, the Odisha Police will soon inaugurate 20 new Cyber Police Stations across various districts of the state.

Director General of Police (DGP) Y.B. Khurania announced the expansion during a high-level review meeting held at the State Police Headquarters here. The move is aimed at enhancing public service delivery and bolstering the state’s response to cyber fraud and economic offences.

Emphasising the need for a proactive approach, the DGP directed officials to deploy specially trained cyber personnel and technical experts to ensure the effective functioning of the new police stations. He said the Odisha Police is making extensive preparations to address the rising number of cyber fraud and financial crime cases.

Detailed discussions were held on strengthening infrastructure, procuring advanced software and hardware tools, and ensuring adequate manpower for the upcoming stations. The DGP instructed that newly appointed officers undergo specialised training in cyber forensics and financial analysis to improve investigative efficiency.

At present, 14 Cyber Crime and Economic Offences (CC & EO) Police Stations are operational across the state. Their performance and ongoing measures to curb cybercrime were also reviewed during the meeting.

Khurania further stressed the importance of tracking stolen mobile phones through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal and taking stringent action against individuals using benami bank accounts and SIM cards for fraudulent activities. He directed officials to implement firm measures to curb such illegal practices.

A special enforcement drive under the direct supervision of the Crime Branch will be conducted from February 20 to 27 to intensify action against cybercriminal networks.

The review meeting was attended by DGP (Crime Branch) Binaytosh Mishra, Additional DGP (Modernization) Soumendra Priyadarshi, IGP (Crime Branch) Safin Ahmed K., IGP (Training, BPSPA) Anup Kumar Sahu, IGP (Crime Branch) Sarthak Sadangi, along with Range IGs, DIGs and District SPs who joined virtually.

The expansion marks a significant milestone in Odisha’s ongoing efforts to build a robust cyber security framework and safeguard citizens from digital and financial crimes.